BOSTON COLLEGE vs. MINNESOTABoston College takes on its third Big Ten opponent in four outings, this time, in the form of top-ranked Minnesota for a pair at Mariucci Arena. The Eagles have a bad taste in their mouths the last time they took on the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. Just after Coach York captured his record-breaking 925th career victory in the semifinal matchup of the Mariucci Tournament, Minnesota deflated BC with an 8-1 beating the next night. Minnesota holds the slight overall advantage, 15-12-2, over Boston College. This historic series commenced in the national semifinal on March 11, 1954, where Minnesota skated away with a 14-1 victory, triggering an unblemished mark of 7-0-0 against BC. The Eagles finally broke the streak on March 23, 1985, in the NCAA Tournament and are 6-1-3 in the last 10 meetings. These two clubs have met 10 times in the postseason. BC has won six, but each team has scored 36 goals a side, displaying the parity between the two.

MARKING MINNESOTAWith demonstrative wins over Mercyhurst, New Hampshire and two over Bemidji State, Minnesota heads into this weekend's highly-touted matchup as the country's elite squad. The Golden Gophers were ranked No. 1 in both the USCHO and USA Today polls on Oct. 21 after outscoring their first four opponents by a combined 20-6. They are just one of five teams with an umblemished record and one of seven teams without a loss. Minnesota's balanced attack has set the precedent, tied for the third-most effective offense in the country (5.00 gpg) in cohesion with the second-stingiest defense in the NCAA (1.50 gpg). UM's scoring margin of +3.50 is tied for second in the NCAA, just one spot ahead of BC. Sam Warning has anchored Minnesota's offense, tied for second in the country in points per game (2.25), just one spot below the leader, Johnny Gaudreau. Netminder Adam Wilcox is eighth in goals against average (1.50) and 15th in save percentage (.936).

GAME OF THE WEEK...EVERY WEEKBoston College's two-game series at top-ranked Minnesota marks the Eagles' fourth- and fifth-consecutive contests against national ranked opponents. No. 4 BC started off at No. 11 Michigan and followed that with the home opener against No. 15 Rensselaer. On Oct. 18, the Eagles welcomed No. 2 Wisconsin. In Boston College's first four games, the combined rankings between BC and its opponent has been the lowest across the rest of the NCAA's composite schedule. Without RPI rankings available, it can be deduced that BC has had one of the nation's toughest schedules in the opening month.

JOHNNY THE CENTURIANJohnny Gaudreau became Boston College's 74th player in program history to score 100 points for his career. Gaudreau turned the trick in 82 career games, totaling 44 goals and 58 assists for 102 points. Gaudreau's 1.24 points per game for his career is the NCAA's top mark as are his 12-career game-winning goals.

GEAU AHEADThrough three games, Johnny Gaudreau is the NCAA leader in points per game at 2.33 ppg. The Carneys Point, N.J., native has logged two goals and five assists in his first three outings. He has scored at least one point in every outing this season, including a pair of three-point outings against RPI and Wisconsin.

BIG TEN / HOCKEY EAST CHALLENGEBoston College has been at the forefront of the newly-created Big Ten / Hockey East Challenge. This challenge takes place over the course of 13 games from Oct. 18 to Oct. 27. The Michigan game did not count towards the challenge, so the Eagles are 1-0 in their quest to help Hockey East win the challenge. Both games at Minnesota will count and the conference that records the most points from the 13 games will be declared the winner. Points are awarded as follows: two points for a win, one point for a tie and a bonus point for a road win. Hockey East leads the Big Ten heading into this weekend, 9-4.

DON'T BE OFFENSE-DEDBoston College's 17-goal total through three games is the most for the Eagles since scoring 20 from Dec. 3 to Dec. 30, 2010. BC scored nine and five goals, in that order, over BU before hanging six on Colgate. The Eagles' 17-goal start is the most for the program since the 2002-03 season when Jerry York's club opened with 18 goals from Oct. 13 to Oct. 20, 2002. BC scored six, four and eight goals, to open the season. With those numbers, BC's offense of 5.67 goals per game is ranked second in the NCAA, trailing Providence with 6.00 gpg.

LAMP LIGHTERSThe Eagles lit up Wisconsin for nine goals on Oct. 18. The last time Boston College scored nine goals in a game was a 9-3 victory over Northeastern at Matthews Arena on Jan. 19, 2013. The last time the Eagles lit the lamp nine times at home was in a 9-0 victory against Massachusetts on Jan. 31, 2003.

CONNECT FOURBoston College subdued Wisconsin with an early onslaught of a four-goal first period on Oct. 18. BC's four-goal first period is the first for the Eagles since they netted five in the opening frame against Providence on Feb. 25, 2012. The last time BC scored four goals in any period was in the second period against Vermont on March 9, 2013.

MATHeson's ARITHMETIC EQUATIONOn Oct. 18 in the 9-2 win over Wisconsin, Michael Matheson was a plus-seven rating, marking the highest career total of any current Eagle. Travis Jeke held the highest mark with a plus-six rating against Northeastern on Jan. 19, 2013. Defensive partner Ian McCoshen was a plus-six in the Wisconsin game, as well.

HELP ME HELP YOUFirst-year forward Adam Gilmour's first-career points came in the form of a playmaker, finishing with three assists in the 9-2 win against Wisconsin on Oct. 18. The last Eagle to have a playmaker was Johnny Gaudreau against Vermont on March 9, 2013. Gaudreau scored two goals along with four assists in that outing.

STAGE FRIGHT(LESS)Boston College's incoming class has shown no signs of stage fright early on. Seven of the ten rookies have scored at least one point and make up 44.7 percent of the Eagles' offense. Against Rensselaer on Oct. 13, three freshmen netted their first-career goals (Ryan Fitzgerald, Chris Calnan, Steven Santini) while Scott Savage (0-2-2) and Calnan (1-1-2) each notched their first-career multi-point performances. Against Wisconsin, Ian McCoshen scored a goal and an assist while Adam Gilmour doled out three assists.

MAN-DOWN MARKERSSenior captain Patrick Brown scored his first goal of the season in short-handed fashion and first since a 4-1 win over Vermont in the Hockey East Tournament on March 16, 2013. It marks his first-career short-handed goal and BC's first since Bill Arnold netted one in a 4-2 win over Boston University on Nov. 11, 2012. It also marked Brown's first mutli-point game at Boston College with an assist on Scott Savage's first-career goal. With Brown's short-handed marker, the Eagles have matched last year's total.

CANG CANFreshman Austin Cangelosi became the first Eagle to turn in a two-goal performance this season. The Estero, Fla., native added an assist against Wisconsin on Oct. 18 for his first three-point performance.

BITING THE BILLETTJunior Brian Billett earned his first victory in net over Wisconsin on Oct. 18 since beating Providence on Dec. 6, 2011. Classmate Brad Barone tasted his first action, stopping five shots in the third period. Barone stopped three shots at Providence on March 2, 2013.

SIT RISESJunior Michael Sit curbed his scoring draught as an Eagle and tallied his first-collegiate goal in his 80th outing against Wisconsin on Oct. 18.

Jerry York NIGHTOn Friday, Oct. 18, Boston College honored its legendary coach, Jerry York. The Schiller Family Head Hockey Coach is in his 20th season at The Heights and 42nd, all-time. York is college hockey's all-time winningest coach with 937 victories to date, along with a record 37 NCAA Tournament victories. The brief ceremony will honor York for the four NCAA championships (2001, 2008, 2010, 2012) he has brought back to Chestnut Hill, the 10 Frozen Four berths (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012) and the five 30-win seasons he has produced at Boston College. To date, York owns an overall win-loss total of 937-570-98 (.614) and a 460-235-64 (.648) mark at Boston College.

CALLING ALL SPECIAL UNITSBoston College's combined special teams effort is tied for ninth in the country (13-for-23 -- 56.5 percent). Prior to the Oct. 18 contest, it was tops in the country to an unblemished combined special teams' effort against RPI on Oct. 13.

REMINISCENT OF 2008?Boston College lost its season opener in a physical battle to No. 11 Michigan on Oct. 10 at Yost Ice Arena. The Eagles and Wolverines initiated one another seasons in 2007-08, where Michigan won a 4-3 overtime contest at the IceBreaker Tournament in St. Paul, Minn. Despite that lost, Boston College's season culminated by winning its third national championship over Notre Dame on Apr. 12, 2008, in Denver, Colo.

EVEN EAGLESBoston College has won the NCAA championship each of the last three even years (2008, 2010, 2012). The Eagles defeated Notre Dame in 2008, Wisconsin in 2010 and Ferris State in 2012. In fact, Boston College has made the Frozen Four the last five even years, finishing as runner-up in 2006 to Wisconsin and losing in the 2004 semifinals to Maine.

#EAGLETWEETABLES• .@BCHockeyNews has been a part of the highest-ranked game every outing according to USCHO polls #WeAreBC

• .@BCHockeyNews sports 11 players selected in the NHL Entry Draft; tying for fourth most in the country #WeAreBC

• Junior forward Johnny Gaudreau broke the 100-point plateau and became the 74th Eagle to accomplish the feat #WeAreBC

• Michael Sit curbed his collegiate scoreless draught, scoring a goal in his 80th game at Boston College #WeAreBC

• .@BCHockeyNews is the youngest team in college hockey with an average age of 20 years and 58 days #WeAreBC